


The Need for Sp(eat)d

by thegirlwhoactually



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Barry Allen is hungry all the time, Italian Love, The Flash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:00:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22025968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlwhoactually/pseuds/thegirlwhoactually
Summary: Barry finds himself in the need for a refuel in the middle of a battle and finds true love in a deli on a street corner in Metropolis.
Kudos: 7





	The Need for Sp(eat)d

Barry didn’t expect to find himself in Metropolis on a Friday night responding to a Justice League call, but here he was, and he was crashing fast. 

“Hey-uh, Bats, man-I really need to eat, like, right now if you don’t want to peel me off the sidewalk when I crash and burn,” Barry blinked the spots out of his vision as he ran, glancing at the different cafes and bistros as he passed them. How many cafes does Metropolis have anyways? Star City had like, three, and none were very good. A sub sandwich was what Barry wanted, but an overpriced panini would have to do for now. Batman’s modulated sigh crackled over the comlink in Barry’s ear and he took that as a go—not that he really had a choice. Stopping mid battle for a snack was usually something he planned for. An easily tucked away protein bar or twenty would get him through a thirty minute fight, which was usually more than enough time for him to get done with business and find himself something to eat before his sugar levels banked. 

Being the fastest man alive had its perks and downfalls. One perk being that he could eat whatever he wanted because his metabolism was so fast. One of the downfalls though was having to eat all the time because his metabolism was so fast. He had made the joke once to Cyborg that he could eat for the both of them, and Cyborg had quickly proven that metabolism or no, there was no out-eating someone who didn’t have a stomach. 

Barry had found that fights made it worse than just running, so he had taken to passing out back-up bars to his teammates. There had been a time when Hal had tossed him a candy bar, and desperate, Barry had eaten it and crashed harder than he ever had before. Apparently sugar rushes and crashes within the span on two seconds tend to wipe people out. Who knew, eh? There was also the strangely kind gesture that Batman had made by creating the perfect “paste” for Barry, perfectly balanced to his body’s needs. Batman mentioned it once and Barry knew never to push it, so he stuck to leaving it for emergencies instead. 

As he ran, the grey spots in his vision from his dropping blood sugar were darkening. He gave a sigh of relief when he spotted a small deli on the corner of the street and darted inside. Shooting behind the counter he called out various “Excuse me!” “Pardon!” “So sorry!”’s as he raced past the owner and employees, all shocked into silence as the red speedster darted around. A crisply folded twenty laying on the counter with a smily face sticky note was all that proved the superhero had come and gone. 

As the Flash ran back to the battle, he took his first bite of his sub and slowed to a trot. Chewing his eyes fluttered shut in pleasure at the taste. This was the best sub he had ever had! Quality Italian ingredients perfectly balanced with cheese and spice... and the bread was dense but light as he chewed. He was in heaven, the flavor bursting on his tongue with each bite. Barry took another bite, moaning in happiness.

“Having fun there, Flash?” Barry’s eyes flew open in surprise and choked on the bite in his mouth. Superman floated in front of him, arms crossed and eyebrows stern. Barry smiled sheepishly before saluting the man of steel and taking off again. He finished his sandwich quickly before launching himself back into battle next to Wonder Woman, making a mental note to come back again soon as Barry Allen. He had some unfinished business with that sandwich.


End file.
